Production · Holland code RC

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

Also called: Cutter, Cutter Operator, Machine Operator, Paper Cutter, Cutting Machine Operator, Die Cutter Operator, Flat Cutter, Sheeter.

O*NET 51-9032.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $46,570; Middle half earn $39,440 to $53,800. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
Start pumps to circulate water and abrasives onto blades or cables during cutting.
Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.
Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Monitoring3.1 / 5
Active Listening2.9 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Speaking2.8 / 5
Active Learning2.5 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.9 / 5
English Language3.5 / 5
Mechanical3.4 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.3 / 5
Administration and Management3.3 / 5
Education and Training3.1 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic95
Investigative10
Artistic0
Social0
Enterprising3
Conventional58

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

water jet cutter operator · DE Maschinenbediener für Wasserstrahlschneidanlage/Maschinenbedienerin für Wasserstrahlschneidanlage · FR opérateur sur machine à découper au jet d’eau/ opératrice sur machine à découper au jet d’eau
leather goods hand cutting operator · DE Lederzuschneider/Lederzuschneiderin · FR coupeur main articles en cuir/coupeuse main articles en cuir
rubber cutting machine tender · DE Gummischneider/Gummischneiderin · FR opérateur de coupeuse de caoutchouc/opératrice de coupeuse de caoutchouc
paper cutter operator · DE Papierschneider/Papierschneiderin · FR conducteur de coupeuses en industrie papetière/conductrice de coupeuses en industrie papetière
automated cutting machine operator · DE Stanzmaschinenbediener/Stanzmaschinenbedienerin · FR conducteur de machines de coupe automatique en industrie des matériaux souples/conductrice de machines de coupe automatique en industrie des matériaux souples
cutting machine operator · DE Oberlederzurichter/Oberlederzurichterin · FR coupeur en chaussures/coupeuse en chaussures

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Footwear and leather working trades (5412)7,700 employed
Metal machining setters and setter-operators (5221)40,400 employed
Metal working machine operatives (8120)28,100 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.08. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-9032).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test